A piercing scream from a young boy exploded out like a thunderclap from a clear sky!
Immediately afterwards, Shen Zhaozhao saw a dusty-faced boy, like a rolling gourd, tumbling and crawling, howling as he rushed out of the dense forest beside her, heading straight for the ferns where she was hiding!
Behind the boy, dust billowed, accompanied by chilling grunts and heavy, drum-like running sounds, as a large group of... steel-bristled porcupines emerged!
These creatures are the size of calves, covered in glossy, black iron-like bristles, with rows of menacing, half-foot-long, steel-needle-like spikes standing upright on their backs.
At this moment, their small eyes were bloodshot and their fangs were bared. They had obviously taken the boy running ahead as an appetizer and were chasing after him at breakneck speed. Wherever they went, small trees as thick as bowls were snapped in half, and the ground trembled slightly!
The boy was clearly panicked and desperate. Seeing Shen Zhaozhao, he clung to her like a lifeline: "Help me! I'm worth a fortune!!!"
Shen Zhaozhao: "?!"
Everything happened too fast. Shen Zhaozhao's gaze swept over the young man's brocade robes, and then, without the slightest hesitation—
"Whoosh!"
The fierce sword light swept out like a silver ribbon.
To put it bluntly, a beginner-level secret realm like Falling Star Marsh is just a small treat casually scattered by the Heavenly Dao. If nothing unexpected happens, most of the monsters roaming there are at the same level as the Steel Feather Chickens in Riftwind Valley of Cloud Nest City, who have just established their foundation.
Therefore, most of the so-called "natural treasures" produced in the beginner-level secret realm are actually low-grade goods.
The truly valuable items are found in those intermediate and advanced secret realms, where the spiritual energy is so rich it can condense into water, and even a random rock could be a material for refining artifacts.
Unfortunately, these prime locations have long been fenced off by various sects, who have turned them into their own backyards, with signs at the entrance that read "No unauthorized personnel allowed, trespassers will be killed."
This is why everyone puts in their best effort during the sect competition, even if it means fighting tooth and nail—what they're vying for is the right to allocate resources.
Her thoughts returned to the beginning. In a beginner-level secret realm like Falling Star Marsh, Shen Zhaozhao was like a max-level expert returning to the newbie village to swarm the fish ponds. Those steel-bristled porcupines that looked intimidating and charged forward with grunts and puffs were no different from piglets running around having fun in her eyes.
"Pfft!"
"Awooo—!"
The dull thud of a blade piercing flesh was mixed with short, shrill screams. The herd of pigs, which had been so aggressive and bloodshot-eyed just moments before, ready to devour the boy as if a pause button had been pressed, suddenly seemed to be pressed.
A dozen or so porcupines, each the size of a calf, froze instantly. A line of blood spurted from their necks, and their enormous heads rolled to the ground with a thud. Their headless, massive bodies, propelled by their forward momentum, staggered a few more steps before crashing to the ground, splashing up a cloud of decaying leaves and mud.
A strong stench of blood instantly filled the air.
The boy, covered in mud from rolling on the ground, looked up in shock. His face was covered in withered leaves and mud, but one could still vaguely make out the fact that he was dressed in fine clothes, and his features were quite handsome.
He was panting heavily, his eyes still filled with fear as he glanced at Shen Zhaozhao. He probably felt safe now, and his spoiled young master attitude resurfaced.
The boy tried to get up, but his legs gave way and he couldn't manage it. He simply reached out to Chen Zhaozhao, raised his chin slightly, and said with a hint of arrogance, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and help me up! Do you know who I am?"
Shen Zhaozhao: "???"
ha? !
She had just been forced to accept the label of "love-struck" by that lunatic Yan Qiubai, and was seething with anger, wanting to strangle all the love-struck people in the world. Where did this little brat come from, daring to act like a big shot in front of her after barely surviving?!
Shen Zhaozhao's lips curled into a smile that looked like a hungry wolf eyeing a fat sheep, and the ruthless, capitalist glint in her eyes instantly surged.
"Help you up?" Her voice was light and slightly eerie. "Sure!"
Before she could finish speaking, Shen Zhaozhao made a lightning-fast move, giving the young master no time to react, and grabbed his outstretched wrist!
"What are you doing... Ouch—!!!"
The boy felt an irresistible force coming at him, and his whole body spun around. With a loud "thud," he was shoved face down back into the rotten leaves and mud!
"You...you dare! You dare...Aaaaaah! No! Don't tear off my clothes! My ice silk robe...Stop!!"
Shen Zhaozhao didn't care what he was howling about; her movements were as swift as those of a professional bandit.
She pressed down on the struggling boy's lower back with one knee, held his neck firmly with one hand, and began to pluck at his accessories with the other hand without any politeness!
A belt buckle inlaid with gold and jade?
Tear it off!
The jade pendant hanging from her waist, shimmering with spiritual light?
Grab it!
The expensive-looking gemstone brooch pinned to her lapel?
Peel it off!
"I really don't know who you were before."
While deftly stuffing her spoils into her storage bag, Shen Zhaozhao patted the boy's fair face with a self-righteous air: "But I know you're about to become a penniless cripple~"
"you!!!"
Murong Xiao was pinned to the muddy ground, trembling with rage. He felt he had never been so humiliated in his life. "Do you even know who my father is?! My father is the Immortal Emperor of the Upper Realm. If I hadn't offended him, he would have kicked me into the cycle of reincarnation. You, a mere Foundation Establishment ant, wouldn't even be able to get close to me!"
Wow, that's amazing!
Shen Zhaozhao didn't believe this nonsense at all. Her hands didn't stop moving for a moment. She ripped off the storage bag with intricate cloud patterns embroidered on his waist like shearing wool, while teasing him like she was playing with a child.
"So what heavenly rule did our little immortal lord break?"
"Did you steal your father's nectar? Or did you flirt with some fairy maiden from some palace? Is it worth your father being so heartless as to kick you into this muddy ground to eat leaves?"
"Ptooey! Ptooey! Ptooey!"
Murong Xiao was pinned to the mud, spitting out the rotten leaves in his mouth. He was so angry that his eyes rolled back, and he struggled to turn his head and roared, "Heh, I'll scare you to death if I tell you! The Mo Yuan Immortal Venerable above my father, who is so powerful that he can suppress the three realms, was recently harmed by a demon from another world. I heard that he was ravaged terribly!"
"Immortal Venerable Mo Yuan is an unparalleled being who governs the entire Upper Realm of Lingzhou, down to the Yellow Springs of Reincarnation, and whose power is second only to the Heavenly Dao. Even my father has to bow down before him!"
"Even he couldn't withstand that otherworldly demon, so I'm thinking, rather than letting my brother's unparalleled good looks be ruined by some unknown otherworldly demon, I might as well strike first and ruin him!"
Murong Xiao roared, "What did I do wrong?!"
"..."
Shen Zhaozhao's hand, which was deftly rummaging through the storage bag, was startled and froze in mid-air by this shocking statement.
She slowly lowered her head and looked at the young man in brocade robes who was being pressed down by her knee, still floundering in the mud, with a face that said, "My logic is flawless."
What, what is that?
What kind of nonsense is going through this kid's head? Has he gone mad?!
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